IRAQ: Two things the general won’t do

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Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly, who assumed command last month of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq, won’t fly in helicopters or ride in the so-called MRAP (mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle).

Being in a helicopter keeps him from seeing how his 30,000-plus troops are performing and whether complacency has set it. ‘You can’t pick that up flying,’ he said.

He’d rather travel by land convoy even if it means a longer, slower trip to spots in far-flung Anbar province.

As for the MRAP, his reasons are more nuanced. He doesn’t believe in taking a sturdier vehicle than that available to the average Marine.

He felt that way in 2004 during the fight in Fallouja when he traveled in a Humvee less armored than that carrying grunts. (Note to skeptical reader: I rode with him on occasion, including to a firefight in progress.)

The Marine Corps has reduced its request for MRAPs, citing cost and the fact that the vehicle has its off-road limitations. The MRAP, Kelly said, may give the wrong message in a counterinsurgency: that the U.S. is more interested in protecting its troops than in protecting the populace.

‘We’re here to operate, not just protect ourselves,’ he said.

— Tony Perry at Camp Fallouja